Doc. BAMA RUSH-Skewed Film that Lambasts Sororities Directed by Rachel Fleit

Having grown up with sisters, the thought of moving away from home and into a home full of sorority sisters seemed a sorry scenario with no appeal.  Still, the romantic notions that pique the desire to rush to join a sorority house seemed enticing. This doc. examines the ordeals for gaining acceptance into Greek-dom on the campus of Alabama (AL).  Actual life once inside its kingdom was not apparent.  At the time of the great gold rush when I matriculated, cell phones, TikTok and social media crazes were not yet on the horizon. Now, young people cannot conceive of existing without considerable time spent on social media. The influence of sites such as TikTok are so omnipresent as to impact heavily on how teens and young adults perceive themselves and society.  The clandestine rituals intrinsic to sorority selection system have been revealed to a great extent via social media.  For young women with aspirations of seeking a shot at a spot as a certified sister, they must create an overwhelming number of videos promoting themselves in numerous outfits and scenarios.  Desire for acceptance is universal and understandable and avails itself of an intriguing documentary.  However, dir. Rachel Fleit's film is a debacle for numerous reasons.  First, Fleit turns the camera inward, making herself a central focus that is self-serving while steering the storytelling away from its subjects into a self-analysis of her trauma stemming from not fitting in as young woman with alopecia; complete hair loss.  Fleit repeatedly drew analogies between her feelings of inadequacies and not belonging with the women in the film seeking solace by rushing. Second, the young women Fleit follows extensively share their personal anxieties and mental health issues. Rather than a voyeuristic peek into a surreptitious society, the film takes on an intense and inappropriate scrutiny of vulnerable women dealing with anguish.  The film features female professionals hired as mentors to steer girls through the process of rushing. This reenforces the notion that being accepted into a sorority is of consummate importance and necessitates special training.  Relevant topics worthy of further coverage were sadly brushed aside in a scurried manner.  Racial relations and minimal integration in sororities and on campus would have been far more compelling.  Referencing "The Machine" on AL's campus alluded to an omnipotence wielded by sororities and fraternities to be feared, but nothing was unveiled and only served to further dilute this already convoluted and misguided expose.  Fleit may have felt she shed light on the feminine mystique in search of sorority rushing but failed to make a charming or clever documentary.  The result is a desultory investigation which looks at women with issues stemming to a great extent from believing their looks don't measure up to high level stratifications set by accepted standards of beauty.   Put the brakes on watching BAMA RUSH.

Jazz Royalty Charles Lloyd and Gerald Clayton at 222

Last night Charles Lloyd and Gerald Clayton Duo performed for the season finale at 222 in Healdsburg.  This swan song for the season was a send off that kept the audience spellbound.  Legendary jazz musician, and composer Charles Lloyd, 85 years young, performed an extraordinary set with pianist Gerald Clayton.  Clayton (b. Netherlands 1984) is a composer, arranger and award winning recording artist. Clayton on piano paired with Lloyd performing on alto sax.  The two combined their artistries for an intricate, multi-layered aesthetic that fused classical jazz and relaxed constraints of blues and classical music for an innovative style that was paradoxically soothing and startling. Lloyd and Clayton both wore loose fitting shifts, knit caps and shades befitting jazz musicians.   Clayton has received six Grammy nominations and the Thelonious Monk Int'l Jazz Piano Prize (2006).  Lloyd has collaborated with numerous jazz luminaries  including Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Billy Higgins.  Watching Clayton's dexterous fingering on the keys was reminiscent of Monk's unpredictable playing that always strikes an unexpected note or riff with flawless results.  Together, Clayton and Lloyd utilized opposing ranges and tempos. Clayton favored higher octave ranges in allegro style while Lloyd embellished in richer, base octaves and an adagio tempo.   While both musicians demonstrated their unique virtuosities in long solos, the combination of the two disparate styles evoked a contemplative, somnolent score.  Lloyd deferred a majority of the playing time to Clayton while still demonstrating a formidable prowess on his wind instruments and a robust accompaniment on maracas.  The one composition in which Lloyd played an alto flute proved his excellent staying power offering a rich, mellow sound.  However, for this selection Clayton strummed the strings on the piano which had an alien, other worldly vibe I found discordant.  Clayton did all his talking through his instrument and Lloyd spoke only briefly during the program.   Lloyd did say, "I live in the music and not comfortable with verbiage."  He did share his unrelenting "research trying to find that note that is elusive and makes me feel blessed with the missive of a spiritual life."  I felt very fortunate to be in the audience for this intimate and intoxicating evening of transcendent jazz.  The final encore had the only recognizable melody; "Somewhere" from West Side Story.  I was mystified by this choice to close out the concert but their intelligent interpretation was profoundly melancholy.

Film POLITE SOCIETY-Martial Arts Comedy Drama Written/Dir. by Nina Manzoor

The film "Polite Society" just released on Prime Video is an action-comedy that throws jabs at several genres for a mishmash of scenarios that strikes with force on some fronts and fails miserably to connect on others. The film is written and directed by Nina Manor, ("Doctor Who" and "We are Lady Parts"). The plot spins around an Indian-British couple and their two lovely daughters.  Lena (Ritu Arya, "Umbrella Academy") is a high school student with aspirations of becoming a stunt woman and her older sister, played by Priya Kansara, recently dropped out of art school.  Lena, is working hard to fulfill her career dream and even harder at coercing her sister to pursue her plan to become an artist. The first half-hour of the film is the most enjoyable as Rena literally drags her sister into sparring with her.  Lena also tries to enlighten her traditional and social-status seeking parents of how things really stand.  Rena takes on the high school bully in a masterful martial-arts scene that is a big crowd pleasure.  The martial-arts fight scenes, social satire and earnest performances by Arya and Kansara are first rate but not worth the long detention of staying for the rest of the belabored film after it takes a low blow to its plot.  Lena becomes obsessed with thwarting the impending nuptials.  Her sleuthing into the palace where her future brother-in-law lives uncovers a secret lab where nefarious experiments are being conducted on women's wombs.  Her sister's future mother-in-law, Raheela (Nimra Bucha) is an evil foil whose on to Lena's attempt to spoil the wedding.  Credit Raheela's campy and bewitching performance for making a formidable and humorous nemesis.  The scenes in which Raheela's pampering turns to torture, rips new, fertile grounds in villainous comedy.  Nevertheless, the sisterly warmth, friendships and powerful performances fail to muster enough strength to maintain its satirical bite throughout the long winded "Polite Society."  

JURY DUTY-Courtroom Comedy "Reality" Series that Spoofs Jury Duty

A trial by our peers is a pillar of our democracy.  Jury service is a high duty of citizenship.  But, like me, most people hope to dodge jury service.  The new Amazon comedy series, "Jury Duty" is a spoof on jury service with an arresting premise; everyone is an actor except for one person who doesn't realize that everyone besides him, is an actor and the entire situation is staged.  Ronald Gladden is the sole non-actor serving time in a real court room in Los Angeles county and being punked.  Gladden is interested in experiencing the workings of being on a jury and gung-ho to be part of a documentary being made chronicling the inner workings of an American jury trial.  Assuming this is the actual premise, and Gladden is clueless to the farcical set-up, the first episode was hilarious and outrageously clever having pulled off a fraudulent courtroom assemblage of actors and scenarios.  I'm not sure how Gladden is duped into the chicanery or if the audience is all being duped, but go with it for a rollicking ride that is gut wrenchingly funny.  The judge and bailiff are perfect in their no-nonsense roles as are the prosecutor and defending attorneys.  The civil suit itself wears thin; a woman is suing a former co-worker for $1.8 million not $2,400 as the bumbling defense attorney flagrantly misinforms the court, and is admonished by the presiding judge.  The only recognizable actor you may know is handsome leading man, James Marsden.  Marsden, is a main reason the courtroom shenanigans are so much fun to watch.  Marsden plays himself contending he's a major star that should be excused from duty because his celebrity is likely to cause disruption.  The fact that Marsden is not recognized by Gladden or the judge makes his self-mockery ingratiatingly humorous.  On the first day of jury selection, several people explained to the judge their reasons for not being able to be jurors.  One elderly woman told the judge, "It's just not my thing."  The judge accepted this excuse and she was dismissed giving others in the juror pool reason to hope they too may get dismissed.  One young man wanting out of service to get away with his girlfriend asked for suggestions and was jokingly told to claim being a racist.  This didn't sit well in the courtroom and failed to get him removed but elicited snickers and angry glares.  Marsden's plan to stage paparazzi at the courthouse to get excused, backfires horribly.  The judge orders the jurors (Marsden included) to be sequestered.  The show is  a mock/doc by producers who made "The Office" and there is a similar zany appeal with a motley mix of likable, quirky characters.  The verdict is in on episode one, guilty on all counts of breaking new ground in comedy. The verdict is still out whether the show can maintain this level of first degree comedy.